


Confessions

by NathanielCardeu



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Accidental Confession, F/M, Sneaky Slytherin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-30 20:45:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19411075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NathanielCardeu/pseuds/NathanielCardeu
Summary: Adrian has something he wants to say to Pansy.





	Confessions

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Draco's Den Half-Blood Prince Drabble Elimination challenge (Round 1).  
> The challenge was to write a drabble, drawing inspiration from a potion (Polyjuice for this first round).
> 
> Enjoy!

He scrubbed a hand through his hair as he waited. He was nervous, no point in denying it. Confessions were never easy--and certainly weren’t in his nature--but at least this one was…

His thoughts stopped as she almost glided through the door, and he caught himself before her name slipped from his lips. In truth, his thoughts were burned out of his mind, cobweb set ablaze. Time seemed to slow as he watched her move.

Her short dark hair was streaked with vivid purple, decorated with jewelled clips of jade and amethyst. A mesh top clung to her body and arms, an intricate corset worn over the top that showed off the swell of her breasts. Her flared black skirt was short enough to show the straps that secured her artfully ripped fishnet tights. Heavy, black leather, high-heeled boots, decorated with straps and buckles, came up to the top of her calves; it always surprised him how gracefully she could walk in footwear that seemed so clunky. Her makeup was perfect with black lipstick, her eyes highlighted in shades of purple.

Blaise said that the way she painted her face made her look too severe, unapproachable; Adrian always replied that it easily drew his gaze straight to her eyes. In his mind, he expanded upon that and compared her eyes to the beautiful flowers--calla lilies--his grandmother had always planted in her garden. She had been especially fond of the strain that produced dark, almost black petals, and it was these that he saw when he looked at Pansy’s eyes; they were dark voids of pure beauty, his favourite feature of hers. They were stunning to look at, and so was she.

“Adrian!” she said, her face breaking into a radiant smile. “I thought you had Quidditch practice?”

“Oh,” he stammered, his brain instantly losing the scraps of thought he had managed to recover, “I wasn’t expecting a whole scenario…”

“Scenario…?”

“Yes, of course…” Adrian shook his head and drew a deep breath. “Stay on track, sure. Sorry, cousin.”

Pansy blinked, but recovered her poise almost instantly. She leant against a nearby wall, one eyebrow raised, the very picture of gothic elegance. “Please, continue… cousin?”

“Pansy, I decided to skip practice in order to talk to you. I wondered if you would be interested in going to dinner with me?”

“So formal,” she said with a languid smile.

“Too much?”

“Not at all, I rather like it,” she said, the tip of her tongue gently touching her top lip in a sensual gesture, “though we dine together regularly enough.”

“With our respective families, certainly. I was thinking something more… private. Intimate, just the two of us, away from all the pomp and ceremony. Like a… uh...” He swallowed the nerves in his chest--or tried to, at least.

“A date?” she drawled, pretending to examine her black nail polish while staring at him through her lashes. “Why, Adrian, I had no idea…”

“I have admired you for many months. Your style, the way you carry yourself, your sense of humour. You are beautiful, Pansy.”

Her cheeks darkened, and she glanced away, pulling a face. “You attempt to flatter me, Adrian, but compliments are not something I enjoy. In no way am I beautiful. I have my grandfather’s overly strong chin and my grandmother’s grating cackle of a laugh. I am dark and unnecessarily moody, dress like a gothic tramp, and clump around the house pretending to be some sort of forlorn vampire!”

“You go too far! How bloody dare you!” he cried, startling her. “Pansy is a strong and confident woman, not the sort to denigrate herself. I do not appreciate you talking about her like that! She’s beautiful and knows it, so you take that back, cousin. Right now!"

"Excuse me?" Pansy said, standing straight. "That is how _my parents_ describe me to their fancy visitors while telling Algie, our house elf, to hustle me out of the room so that I do not embarrass them!" Her voice rose, and he was surprised to see tears in her eyes. "I am sorry I cannot keep up the pretence that their words do not hurt me, just to spare you, Adrian. After years of being put down by them, I simply do not have the strength to see any compliment as something other than a veiled insult, even from you!” She sneered, not looking at him. “People who throw out compliments are insincere and usually want something from you; those that accept them gratefully, at face-value, without questioning the motive, are weak!”

“Wait, wait, hold up... “ Adrian held up his hands, stopping her before she said anything else. “Pansy?”

“What?” she snapped.

“That _is_ you, isn’t it? Actually you?”

“Yes, of course, it’s me, you idiot!” she spat. “Do you know anyone else who voluntarily dresses like this? Bella told me you had something to ask me, so I came over. Who did you _think_ you were talking to?”

Adrian glanced out of the window, his eye was drawn to a figure in the garden. His cousin, Bellatrix, was laughing and waving at him mockingly. She gave him a double thumbs up before running out of sight. His blood ran cold as he looked back at Pansy, realisation hitting him like a bucket of water.

It was his own fault, he thought wryly; he should have realised his cousin wouldn’t _really_ have gone to all the effort of brewing a Polyjuice Potion, _just_ to help him practise talking to Pansy. With hindsight, he could see that she had agreed far too readily, and with too much glee, for it to have been anything other than an elaborate prank!

Well, the cat was well and truly out of the bag now!

~~~

**Author's Note:**

> This one was fun to write. I hope you enjoyed it too!


End file.
